All writing is discipline, but screenwriting is a drill sergeant.
Robert MckeeRead
Good story' means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. Finding this is your lonely task...But the love of a good story, of terrific characters and a world driven by your passion, courage, and creative gifts is still not enough. Your goal must be a good story well told.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A good story is one that resonates with others, but telling it well is essential.
This quote emphasizes the importance of not just having a compelling story to tell, but also the skill and artistry required to convey that story effectively. While the passion and courage behind a narrative are vital, the true measure of success lies in how well the story is presented to the world.
Themes
StoryNarrativeCreativityArtistryCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a writing workshop to inspire participants to focus on both story and storytelling.
More from Robert Mckee
All quotes →Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.
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Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.
Robert MckeeRead
Anxious, inexperienced writers obey rules. Rebellious, unschooled writers break rules. Artists master the form.
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We rarely know where we are going; writing is a discovery.
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Whereas life separates meaning from emotion, art unites them. Story is an instrument by which you create such epiphanies at will, the phenomenon known as aesthetic emotion...Life on its own, without art to shape it, leaves you in confusion and chaos, but aesthetic emotion harmonizes what you know with what you feel to give you a heightened awareness and a sureness of your place in reality.
Robert MckeeRead
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